3 valuable SEO insights from Friends of Search 2024

Date
11 April 2024

As an SEO specialist I had the opportunity to attend Friends of Search, a well-known SEO and SEA conference in Amsterdam. The event attracts at least 600 visitors annually and guarantees thought-provoking talks, an exciting award show, and a networking moment. I was immediately impressed by the international expertise presented by the other attendees during this eleventh edition, held on 21 March 2024. Discover 3 valuable SEO insights that stuck with me. 

FOS

Be aware of the good, the bad & the ugly of AI in SEO

The day got off to a great start when Aleyda Soldis, rightfully crowned as the SEO queen, shared her findings about the impact of AI on SEO. She told us that there are not only advantages and disadvantages (the good & the bad) to AI but that we should also be aware of the ugly aspect. 

Implement the right AI tools 

Make sure AI works for you. Use the right AI tools wisely to make your SEO workflow more efficient. Install the right plugin to add search intents to your keyword research, for example. Or install a plugin for ChatGPT to create useful SEO prompts. By working more efficiently with your workflow, you will have more time for relevant optimisations or follow-ups. 

Quality is still king

When you rely too heavily on tools and plugins, the quality of your content can drop. Poorly written or irrelevant content does more harm than good. The fundamentals of SEO-proof copy are still relevant. To ensure that your copy is truly SEO-proof, always perform quality checks. 

Be aware of generative AI in Search 

Imagine entering a search term on Google and suddenly finding an AI-generated answer that perfectly matches your search needs. And seeing that when you have follow-up questions, AI provides answers for those as well. With Search Generative Experience (SGE), this can all become a reality. Only the most relevant content will be displayed.  

Our SEO queen predicts that SGE will make you focus even more on the customer journey when you create content. And although SGE is still in a testing phase, this new way of searching is an excellent opportunity to showcase your expertise. 

Image SEO goes beyond choosing the right photo

With her years of experience as a technical and image SEO expert, Roxana Stingu shared some best practices in image SEO. She confirmed that pages with images are not only more appealing to visitors but also rank better in search engines. This is why you should always provide the full context of every image in your page.   

Don’t rank in the first position but in the third 

When scrolling through search results in a search engine, we scan the results from top to bottom. However, with image search results, it's different. Just like reading a book, we look at Google Images search results from left to right. As a result, we don't settle for the first result we see. In fact, the image appearing in the third position performs better than the one in the first position. 

AI & images  

It is now possible to have AI-generated images ranked in search engines. However, be aware that search engines always look for images that best match the visitor's search query. Moreover, the use of AI images is not without risks. Roxana Stingu shared an example of a law firm that presented its entire team on their website. Eventually, it turned out that there was no actual law firm and that all the images of the employees were generated by AI. This raises the question of whether search engines may find it more difficult to verify the credibility of websites. 

FOMU for inclusion is real

Content strategist Purna Virji told us that FOMU, or the fear of messing up, for inclusion is a real vibe among digital marketers. We all know that we strive for a more inclusive society but sometimes forget to extend that inclusivity to our campaigns or content. She gave 4 important tips. 

Focus on the accessibility of your content 

Think about the language your target audience speaks. And don't forget that some people only speak sign language. Also, choose fonts and colour contrasts that are readable for everyone when creating content. 

Watch your language  

Words are a powerful weapon, which is why it's important to use them consciously.  

  • Avoid words that undermine the position of people with disabilities.  

  • Ensure that your message is always concise and easy to understand for everyone.  

  • Always use the language that your target audience uses and be aware that language is constantly evolving. 

Use inclusive images and visuals

Think carefully about who to include in your campaign images so that your entire target audience can identify with them. Try to avoid tokenism. Also, consider that people receive information in different ways. Some prefer listening to a podcast, while others prefer watching TikTok videos. Make sure your content is available in multiple formats. 

Don’t play dumb

Those who do nothing can't do anything wrong. If you notice that you messed up because your communication was not inclusive, do something about it. Take action with the 3 A's and ensure that you tell an authentic story.  

  • Acknowledge: Admit that you made a mistake.  

  • Apologise: Apologise for your mistake.  

  • Act: Behave accordingly. 

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Will we soon be working together to increase your online visibility and generate more traffic to your website? Contact us today and discover how we can help you achieve your SEO goals.

Lissa Tits
About the author/speaker
Lissa Tits
Digital marketer

Lissa is an enthusiastic SEO marketer who started her career at iO as a copywriter. Driven by her passion for content that performs well, she focuses on Content SEO by optimising content and filling relevant content gaps for businesses. She enjoys helping businesses grow and is proud to be a part of the iO SEO team, where she strives to keep finding measurable and relevant results for her clients.

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